Three police officers present during the fatal arrest of George Floyd, an African-American, in 2020, were found guilty Thursday February 24 by a federal court of not having intervened to bring assistance to the man, in the process of dying before their eyes. The death of George Floyd, filmed and posted online, sparked huge protests against racism and police violence across the United States and beyond in the summer of 2020.
The trial of Tou Thao, 36, Alexander Kueng, 28, and Thomas Lane, 38, on trial in Saint Paul, lasted about a month. The jury delivered its verdict after two days of deliberation.
A fourth police officer, Derek Chauvin, was found guilty in June 2021 of murder and sentenced to twenty-two and a half years in prison by the justice of Minnesota. It was he who had maintained for long minutes, on May 25, 2020, his knee on the neck of George Floyd, causing him to asphyxiate.
Another trial for “complicity in murder”
Alexander Kueng was on George Floyd’s back, and Thomas Lane was holding his legs. Tou Thao kept on his side the passers-by, shocked, at a distance.
On Thursday, the three officers were found guilty of failing to provide the necessary assistance to Mr. Floyd, who was clearly showing signs of vital distress. Officers Thao and Kueng were also found guilty of failing to intervene to dissuade Derek Chauvin from“exert unreasonable force”.
Thomas Lane, who had twice suggested putting the victim on his side, in a lateral position of safety, was not targeted by this charge.
The three police officers will also be tried by the justice of the State of Minnesota, for “complicity in murder”from June.